When comparing Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge vs Google Pixel, the Slant community recommends Google Pixel for most people. In the question“What are the best phones released in 2016?” Google Pixel is ranked 2nd while Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose Google Pixel is:
Given it's a Google phone, new updates will roll out rather frequently and for a long time on this phone. So you'll get the latest Android.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Amazing display
The S7 Edge has a 5.5" 1440p Super-Amoled display. It has a very high resolution which means blocky text and grainy images are things of the past - it's got enough pixels that it will work great even as a VR (virtual reality) display. The Super-Amoled technology allows individual pixels to turn off, which means that black colors are true black (IPS panels need to keep black pixels illuminated which means that very dark blue glow you'll find on most screens when displaying black). Colors really pop as well.
Pro Great camera, especially in low-light
Samsung has reduced the resolution to 12MP (the S6 had 16MP), but they have changed the way the camera works. Each individual pixel is larger which allows more light to enter - this means brighter looking pictures even in very dark situations. They also use dual-pixel technology, which makes focusing laser fast. The camera also protrudes less from the back than the S6 (it just barely sticks out now).
Pro Excellent performance
This is one of the first phones with the all new Snapdragon 820 system on a chip (SoC - that just means that there's a CPU and GPU bundled in the unit). It has the newest and most advanced CPU and GPU available in early 2016. It's accompanied by 4GB of RAM - that's enough for most laptops, so plenty of RAM as far as phones are concerned.
Pro Comfortable design
The Galaxy S7 Edge has a curved screen on the front, as well as curved glass on the rear. The rear curve makes it groove into your hand better than regular corners on most phones. On the front of the screen, the edge invites you to swipe all the way to the side of the screen, and there are features that take advantage of this. Swiping in from the right edge brings up panels which you can customize - quick one-touch calling contacts, quick launching apps - you can configure it to whatever you want.
Pro Waterproof (with no flaps)
The Galaxy S7 Edge features IP68 dust and water resistance - you can submerge the S7 into 1.5m (5ft) of fresh water for 30 minutes without worrying about it. Just make sure to let the ports dry before using them.
Pro Good battery life
The 3,600mAh battery is large enough to last a full day, and Samsung boasts that you can binge watch an entire season of Game of Thrones without needing to charge (these claims have yet to be tested, but users are reporting 7 hours of screen-on time during mixed use which is still impressive).
Pro VR Compatible
The Galaxy S7 Edge is compatible with Samsung Gear VR. It costs $99, but sometimes can be bundled with the phone for less. It is a great affordable introduction to virtual reality, although it isn't the best solution available.
The phone clips into the headset, and connects via the USB port to act as the brains and display for the unit.
Pro Software remains up to date
Given it's a Google phone, new updates will roll out rather frequently and for a long time on this phone. So you'll get the latest Android.
Pro Likely the best smartphone camera from 2016
Compared to other smartphones, the Pixel camera currently (October 2016) holds the highest score from DXO mark (in terms of color depth, saturation, etc). Many reviews also praise it as the smartphone camera which takes the best pictures out there. Also the camera really launches fast, allowing you to capture sudden moments. Although there is no hardware OIS (optical image stabilization), the software stabilization does a great job.
You can see a comparison video here of the Pixel against the iPhone 7, Galaxy S7, HTC 10, Sony Xperia XZ and LG G5.
Pro Unlimited original size Google Photos backup
With this phone (only at the moment), you can back up on Google Photos the original version of your photos (full resolution) at no cost. Other phones can upload unlimited photos to Google Photos as well, although they will be compressed image files.
Pro One of the fastest CPUs (in 2016)
The Google Pixel is using the new Snapdragon 821 processor. Other phones from earlier in the year have used the Snapdragon 820. The 821 only has minor differences to the 820.
Pro Integrated Google Assistant
Google Assistant is a more refined Google Now. It's more conversational, and can do different things instead of being limited to a single app. Google Assistant can bring up relevant information in more places than Google Now could, such as conversations within the Duo app.
Pro Fingerprint sensor can be used to trigger other actions
You can double tap the power button to start the camera, swipe the fingerprint sensor in various directions to trigger predefined actions like showing/hiding the notifications, which is pretty handy given it's on the back on the phone.
Pro USB-C charger
USB Type-C port, the future of USB (much more resistant than micro-USB and allows charging either way...). If you have other modern devices you're likely having one of those already, and if not you have a standard short USB-A cord in the package (also micro-USB to USB-C adapter for charging are very cheap).
Pro Daydream VR ready
The Pixel supports Google's VR standard (Daydream) with very rapid refresh rate, and all the required highly sensitive sensors.
Pro Exists in small and larger form factor
The spec are the same for both sizes, except the battery (2700mAh on the 5" Pixel, and 3450mAh on the Pixel XL) and screen resolution (1080p on the 5" Pixel, 1440p on the Pixel XL).
Pro Best Android based UI
Google Assistant, Pixel Launcher, Google Camera, and other google services are available only for pixel devices.
Pro Icons provides shortcuts to functions of that app without opening that app
For example, if you want to send a message, a long press on Messenger opens up options to start a new conversation or continue a recent conversation.
Pro Unofficially waterproof
Officially it's not waterproof (spill and splashes proof). However one guy already tried to immerse the phone in water for an hour and found it had no effect on the phone except distorting the speakers sound (while still wet, similar to officially waterproof phones).
Of course it is not recommended that anyone try this as it will most likely void the warranty and could potentially damage the phone.
Cons
Con Bloatware
The Galaxy S7 runs TouchWiz software, which is known for its abundance of bloatware. Bloatware is the term used to describe pre-installed apps that add little to no functionality. Samsung's offerings (S-Voice, Chat-On, Flipboard, Kies, Samsung Hub, and the list goes on) are often inferior to Google's offerings and/or third party apps.
Con Slippery back
While it feels premium, it's more prone to damage than aluminum or plastic backs. Also, it feels fairly slippery meaning it's more likely to slide off surfaces.
Con No USB-C
Samsung opted out of using the next generation USB-C which is quickly becoming the industry standard and is a much more convenient reversible port.
Con Edges reduce usability slightly
Hitting the q and p keys on the keyboard is harder than on flat screens, as about 30% of the key is slanted away. Also, on white screens you can see the slight color distortion on the edges if you look for it, although in regular use you won't notice it.
Con Not worth the price
The cost is bit higher than the related specs.
Con Camera may have lens flare issues
Some consumers have reported issue with lens flare in their pictures. It is not widely reported, but does seem to cause some people problems.
There is also a similar issue on the HTC 10, which is a close hardware design to the Pixel.
Con Not officially rated as waterproof
The Pixel (and Pixel XL) is not officially rated as waterproof, at all. It's only IP53 certified (5 for dust, 3 for water), which means it's pretty dust resistant, but would only survive a light rain or splashes, as opposed to the Galaxy S7 which is IP68 and iPhone 7 which is IP67.